Athenry is a town about 23km east of Galway city. The population at the 2006 census was 3205 – with 805 family units , In 2006 the unemployment rate was just 5% and 64% of the population were single. About 17% of the Athenry population were born outside Ireland at the time of the 2006 census.
In the 13th Centuty A man callled Meiler de Bermingham built a castle at Athenry – by the ford on the River Clareen, and founded the mediaeval town of Athenry.
The castle, surrounded by its own curtain wall and towers, had three phases of construction between the 13th and 15th centuries. It later fell into ruin, but has recently been re-roofed and has a mediaeval-type festival each year . There is also an Arts & Heritage Centre in Athenry .
The name town of Athenry is known all over the world because of the song ” The Fields of Athenry” – see the words here – Fields of Athenry Words